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Shopping For Better Medical Equipment

If your dog has been experiencing symptoms such as unexplained weight loss, vomiting, a chronic infection, or lab work that has come back abnormal, your veterinarian might recommend an ultrasound. While the test might sound simple enough, there are some important things you’ll need to do when preparing your dog for a veterinary ultrasound. Don’t Let Your Dog Eat Anything It’s important for your dog’s stomach to be empty during an ultrasound. This will enable the veterinarian or technician to see your pet’s organs better during this noninvasive test. While it’s totally fine to give your dog water, they should abstain from eating solid foods before the test. Some veterinarians recommend your dog fast for only a couple of hours before the test while others recommend not having your dog eat after a certain time at night. It’s best to ask your veterinarian how long your dog should go without food before the ultrasound. Keep Your Dog’s Bladder Full If your dog is having an ultrasound of the kidney or bladder, a full bladder can help to see these organs better. If you’re not sure which organs your veterinarian is going to need to see during the ultrasound, it’s best to ask. If it is the kidney or bladder, your vet will most likely recommend that your dog not empty the bladder prior to the test. Shaving Your Dog’s Fur During an ultrasound, a transducer is used for transmitting sound waves and receiving echoing waves. The inaudible sound wave sends a picture to a screen, and that is how the organs are seen. When a veterinary ultrasound machine is used, fur can interfere with this process, which means your dog will most likely have to be shaved before the test. This is usually done at the vet’s office, so it’s not something you will have to do at home beforehand. Getting Your Dog Sedated Since a veterinary ultrasound is painless and noninvasive, most dogs don’t have to be sedated before this simple test. If, however, your dog does experience anxiety in new or unfamiliar situations, or they simply won’t stay still for the procedure, your veterinarian might recommend sedation. The only other reason your dog would need to be sedated for the procedure, is if your pet is experiencing a lot of pain where the transducer needs to be pressed into the skin. By following these suggestions, along with your veterinarian’s […]

If you’re embarking on a new career as a tattoo artist, putting your creative mind on display has likely been a lifelong dream of yours. Now that you’ve found a location to showcase your expertise, you’ll have to make sure that the environment is safe, comfortable, and sterile. Before you start building your new clientele and open your doors to the public, here are a few ways to keep your tattoo station comfortable and sterile for clients. Keep Yourself Clean Handwashing should be the number one priority when working directly with clients. Germs and bacteria thrive everywhere in our environment. Specific bacteria strains, germs, diseases, and infections including Hepatitis, MRSA, HIV, and other blood borne pathogens can be passed on from contaminated blood from a dirty needle or used supply. Because you’ll be dealing with several clients each day, it’s important to keep your skin clean. Consider the following: Proper handwashing techniques using antibacterial soaps or hand sanitizer Wearing a mask if you feel you have a contagious disease, cold, or flu Black latex gloves to protect yourself from contact with dirty needles and blood Clean jacket or apron to cover up clothes or exposed skin areas Presenting a clean environment will reduce the risk of cross-contamination from client to client. Practice Sterile Contact In addition to medical-grade quality black latex gloves, which you can purchase at places like Your Glove Source, there are other ways to prevent infection and blood contamination. Making sure that you use disposable tattoo tubes and needles is very important. You should have an employment safety plan in place and in writing before opening and operating your shop or booth. The plan should explain your procedure for storing, applying, and disposing of all sterile equipment—especially the needles. You may wish to have your client sign an agreement that he or she is healthy enough for a tattoo and has no underlying medical condition that could compromise his or her health during the application of new ink. Deep Clean Your Station Daily Germs are everywhere. The station where you perform your tattoo applications should be as sterile as possible. Bacteria can only be destroyed by bleach or an antibacterial cleaning solution that states it kills germs on the instructions. Cleaning or bleaching floors, walls, equipment and countertops is important for germ control. Make sure that you use an autoclave to disinfect your equipment and other items […]

Medical diagnostic equipment and procedures can be essential in the diagnosis and treatment of a range of conditions. However, these devices can be extremely complicated, and it can be common for patients to be uninformed about these procedures. For those that are suffering from internal medical problems, an MRI may be needed to provide your doctor with a better understanding of what is happening inside the body, and if you have never gone through the experience of having an MRI, it may be beneficial to learn the following answers to some questions new MRI patients commonly need answered. Will You Be Exposed To Radiation During Your MRI? There are many medical devices that utilize x-rays and other forms of radiation to obtain images of the body’s interior. Not surprisingly, there are many patients that want to limit their exposure to this harmful radiation. Fortunately, if you are one of these patients, you should be relieved to learn that MRIs do not utilize radiation. Rather, these machines use magnetic fields to generate images of the body, which makes them a safe option. How Long Will Your MRI Take? The process of having an MRI done can be rather lengthy. Unlike x-rays that can be taken in a matter of seconds, an MRI can take up to an hour to create an image of the body’s interior. The exact amount of time needed will vary based on the area of the body being imaged, but your MRI technician should be able to give you an estimated amount of time needed to complete the scan. The results from this procedure will usually be available to your doctor within a couple of days, which can help ensure that your treatment proceeds as quickly as possible. Are There MRI Options For Claustrophobic Patients? Sadly, there are many patients that may suffer from claustrophobia. This condition can cause patients to experience intense anxiety when they are in confined spaces. For patients that suffer from this condition, it may be necessary to opt for an open MRI. These are MRIs that are designed to be as open as possible for patients that struggle with confined spaces. However, you should be aware that open MRIs can still feel somewhat confined to patients that suffer from intense claustrophobia. In these instances, the patient may need to be sedated for the procedure. While this may require the patient to have […]

If you’ve been diagnosed with a disability that will leave you confined to a wheelchair – and your present home isn’t wheelchair accessible – you’re going to need to modify your home as soon as possible. While exterior ramps will allow to get in and out of your home more comfortably, there are other areas of your home that you’ll need to modify. Here are some simple steps to modify each room in your home. Bathroom When you’re confined to a wheelchair, it can be difficult to navigate around the bathroom. This is particularly true if your wheelchair won’t fit right next to the toilet. That’s where the security pole comes in. The security pole is a pressure-resistant pole that can be installed next to the toilet. The pole is curved in the center, which allows you to use it as handrails. The pole also swivels, which means you can grasp the pole and rotate from one seat to the next. An added benefit of the security pole is that you can move it from one room to the next, which will allow you greater mobility throughout the house. Kitchen Most kitchens are designed for able-bodied individuals, which means that you won’t be able to access the counters or most cabinets from a seated position. To make your kitchen wheelchair friendly, the counters should be lowered to a height that will allow you to access them from your wheelchair. Items that you use on a regular basis should be placed in the floor-level cabinets. In addition, pull-out shelves should be installed in the cabinets. This will allow you to access items that are placed in the back of the cabinets. Bedroom When it comes to the bedroom, your bed may be the most difficult piece of furniture to access. This is particularly true if you have a platform bed. To make it easier to get in and out of your bed, you should remove the elevated frame and either place the mattress and box springs directly on the floor, or choose a frame that sits closer to the floor. Flooring It can be difficult to maneuver a wheelchair across carpeting. Now that you’ll be using a wheelchair to navigate through your home, you should consider switching to hardwood flooring or tile. This will allow you to use your wheelchair throughout the house without getting caught up on the carpeting. If […]

Alzheimer’s disease, one of the forms of dementia, is a frightening and frustrating condition, both for the patient and for the family member providing care to them. Many Alzheimer’s caregivers, particularly those dealing with the later stages of the disease, may begin to suffer burnout and exhaustion. Adding to that burden by saying the wrong thing is always a bad idea, so here are three things you should never say to a person providing care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s. 1. Why Don’t You Put Your Loved One in a Nursing Home? This type of question may not seem insensitive on the surface, but the truth is that it’s probably going to upset the caregiver. If nursing home care was desired — or even possible — the Alzheimer’s patient would already be there. There are a number of reasons that the patient may not be in a nursing home. Finances may be the issue, or maybe the patient views nursing homes as the worst places on earth. Sometimes the caregiver may simply feel that it’s easier to keep their loved one at home rather than depend upon a nursing home. Sometimes, it’s a matter of “not yet.” Many Alzheimer’s caregivers realize that there may come a point when they just can’t provide the care needed anymore, but they don’t feel that point has arrived yet. When specialized palliative care is needed, a nursing home may be the best place for the patient to receive that care. However, if the patient is still in the home, the caregiver doesn’t feel that it’s quite time for a nursing home or a palliative care team. There is always a reason, maybe even several reasons, and asking the caregiver to explain them won’t help. The bottom line is that a nursing home has probably already been considered and rejected. No matter what the reason, this is a question that doesn’t need to be asked. 2. Why Don’t You Ever Get Out of the House? This is an insensitive question that an Alzheimer’s caregiver may be pretty upset about. The nature of the disease is such that the patient simply can’t be left alone, especially as the disease progresses. An Alzheimer’s patient could walk outside and get lost in minutes, for example. This means no free time for the caregiver. A caregiver may struggle to find time to take a quick shower, let alone find […]

If you are using any sort of medical device, you are going to need to make sure that it is cleaned on a regular basis in order to make sure that you remain healthy. If this device is being shared with more than one person, such as if you are a parent that has a nebulizer for two children that have asthma, you especially need to take special precautions that a cold that one child has does not infect the other child. Here are some tips for cleaning medical devices. 1. Check the Medical Device’s Guidelines for the Cleaning Solution You Should Use Your first step is to check the medical device’s instruction booklet to figure out what kinds of cleaners are safe to use on the medical device. If those cleaners can easily be purchased on the Internet or in a store nearby, purchase them and use them exclusively on the devices. This will allow you to make sure that you don’t accidentally harm your equipment or accidentally void the warranty. If you are not able to purchase the cleaners that the medical device guidelines suggest, check the active ingredient that is in the suggested cleaners. This should be easy to verify by simply looking it up on your favorite search engine. Then, go to the store and find a mild cleanser that has the same active ingredient at the same intensity. This will help you reduce the chances that you might accidentally damage your device. If no cleaners at all are listed, call your doctor or the nearest hospital and find out what cleaners they use to clean similar medical devices. 2. Set Up Guidelines in the Home About Cleaning the Devices If you are sharing a medical device between two children or you are simply trying to keep your medical device as clean as possible, you will need to regularly get into a cleaning schedule. This will allow you to make sure that the devices are cleaned every time. Once you determine when the best time to clean the devices is, write down the guidelines and post them in a central location of your house or on the device itself. This will allow you to ensure that anyone using the device will put it back so that it is clean or put it in the appropriate spot to be cleaned. For additional assurance that your medical devices […]

Thoracic outlet syndrome causes pain in the shoulders and neck. You may also feel tingling in your hands and fingers. The pain can increase over time without any treatment. If the condition is not treated, the problem will become much worse. Below is some information about how physical therapy can help you with your pain. Physical Therapy Treatment Options There are many different types of treatment options the doctor will suggest for you. One type of treatment is sending you to a physical therapist. If so, the physical therapist will use different methods of helping you with your pain and posture, five of which are listed below. Manual Therapy During manual therapy, the physical therapist will help increase the range of motion in your shoulder. The physical therapist will do this by pressing their hands the affected area and massaging. They will do this as forcefully as you can stand. Manual therapy is often used along with other physical therapy techniques, modalities, and exercises. Posture Training The physical therapist will work with you if you have bad posture. This is important, as the right posture will decrease the amount of pressure you feel in your shoulder and neck area, which will then decrease your pain. The physical therapist will give you different strengthening exercises to do if they find you have bad posture. Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) is a device that uses low voltage electric current to relieve your pain. A TENS unit is used, which is a small battery-operated device. The TENS unit has several electrodes attached to it, and the therapist will place each electrode onto different areas of the affected area of your skin. The device is turned on and the electric current comes through the electrodes onto your skin. How long the electrodes will stay on your skin depends on your particular symptoms. Therapeutic Exercise It is important that you have flexibility and strength in order to maintain proper posture, and this can be accomplished through physical therapy. The physical therapist will have you do strengthening exercises during your session. They will also likely ask you to do these exercises at home Kinesio Tape Kinesio taping is a method used to facilitate your body’s natural healing process. It also provides you with stability and support to your joints and muscles without restricting the range of motion. Kinesio tape can also help […]

When you’re struggling with a hearing problem, you shouldn’t wait to see your doctor about getting a full medical checkup, as this can reveal an issue or condition with your hearing or your ears that is easily corrected. Even if a sudden hearing loss or other issue cannot be corrected with medication or surgery, a hearing aid can ensure your safety and comfort. Consider five surprising signs it’s time to see a doctor about your ears or your hearing. 1. The television seems to be getting quieter If you need to consistently turn up the volume of the television and others around you complain that it’s too loud, chances are it’s not the TV that’s the issue. One early sign of failing hearing is when you cannot hear sounds from a distance, such as a TV that’s across the room. Rather than blaring the volume, having your hearing checked. 2. Background noises drown out other sounds When your ears cannot distinguish between background noises and someone talking right next to you, this too is a sign that your hearing is failing. The inner workings of the ear should be able to distinguish between sounds that are in the distance while focusing on sounds coming from someone close, much like your eyes are able to focus. When this begins to fail, a hearing aid can assist. 3. When noises get fuzzy and unfocused Another function of the inner ear is to keep sounds crisp and clear, and when they get fuzzy, just as when your eyesight begins to get fuzzy, it’s time to have your hearing checked. If people seem to be mumbling when they speak or music seems to be somewhat drab, this is often an early sign of hearing failure. 4. When you cannot hear high-pitched sounds One sign of early hearing loss is not being able to hear high-pitched sounds, such as birds chirping or certain ringtones on a cell phone. If you’re watching birds out your window and you know you should be able to hear them singing, or other people can hear a cell phone ringing and you cannot, this should be brought to the attention of your doctor. 5. When you hear popping, crackling, hissing, or other sounds inside your ears Tinnitus is a condition that causes consistent noises inside your ears, usually a humming, hissing, or other such sound. In some cases it can […]

About Me

About a year ago, my wife was diagnosed with a serious medical issue. She needed constant care, and I was really concerned about how I was going to provide it for her. I worked hard around the clock to give her everything that she needed, but one day I realized that her medical equipment was failing both of us. I started learning more about the devices that she relied on, and I decided to upgrade to better equipment. This blog is all about evaluating your medical equipment, learning about new technologies, and understanding how to use it properly to care for the people around you.